


It Should Have Been Me

by SharkGirl



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Character Death, M/M, Non-gory Mentions of Blood, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2016-04-29
Packaged: 2018-06-05 04:25:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6689077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharkGirl/pseuds/SharkGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He stopped a few blocks away from the hospital, when he’d reached The Street.<br/>This was where it had happened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Should Have Been Me

**Author's Note:**

> I did it! I wrote something sad!! 
> 
> This contains KnB spoilers (the outcome of one Seirin/Shuutoku game)

Takao sat across from Kise at the café.  His best friend was unusually quiet, but then again, so was Takao.  The blond’s eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. And he was sure his weren’t much better.  Kise’s food lay untouched in front of him.  Takao hadn’t even bothered to order anything.  The server must have read the mood, because he didn't bother bringing him a menu.

They didn’t say anything.  What was there to say?

He glanced over at the blond.  Kise’s eyes were downcast.  His phone rang and Takao wasn’t surprised when he didn’t answer.  He knew what the call was about.  It was almost time.

“I’m going to go visit Shin-chan,” Takao said, but Kise didn’t answer.  Not wanting to upset him further, the dark-haired man turned and began taking the familiar path to the hospital.  How many times had he walked back and forth over the past few days?  A dozen?  A hundred?  He couldn’t stay away.

He stopped a few blocks away from the hospital, when he’d reached The Street.

This was where it had happened.

Everything had been cleaned up, but Takao could still see where the blood had spilled on the asphalt.  He could still remember every millisecond of the accident with crystal clarity.  The sound of the truck’s horn.  The screeching of its tires.  Midorima’s voice.  The way the green-haired man’s eyes had widened.  The hideous smacking of metal against flesh and the painful splintering sound of bones breaking.

_‘Don’t you close your eyes!’_

Takao shook the image away and walked on.

He hesitated as he passed the hospital.  He looked at the familiar automatic doors at its entrance.  How many times had he passed through them?

But today he would not.  Today he would not get into the elevator and push the button for the third floor.  He would not take a left when the doors opened.  He would not walk into the seventh room on the right.  Because he knew…

That bed was empty.

He tore his gaze away from the glass doors of the hospital and kept walking.

When he made it to the cemetery, he recognized the plot right away. He’d been there when they picked it out, after all. He walked up to it and stared down into the open grave.  It was just a hole, rectangular, deep, and empty.  He turned and saw where everyone was starting to gather.

Black folding chairs were set up facing a podium.  There was a huge flower wreath made of white lilies and orange hyacinths. Takao gave a sad smile when he realized they were Shuutoku’s colors.  Even though he and Midorima had retired after their third and final Winter Cup a few months earlier.

The flowers were everywhere, lining the center walkway, the podium.

The casket.

It was open, but Takao couldn’t bring himself to walk up and look inside.

He loitered toward the back, watching as Akashi gave a very lovely speech, and as, one by one, each of their friends came to pay their respects.  Takao’s and Midorima’s parents were sobbing together, their younger sisters clutching at each other, unable to make it to the front.

Takao wanted to go to them.  To hold them and tell them it was okay.

But it wasn’t.

It was never going to be okay again.

He did manage to get closer, but when he saw that familiar head of green hair, he just couldn’t.  He turned away from him.  All he could hear around him was broken sobs and murmured words of comfort.

Soon everyone was gone. 

Takao walked over to the grave.  Not wanting to disturb the fresh earth, he stepped around to the back, pillowing his head on his arms as he rested them on the headstone.

He closed his eyes and tried to remember all of the good times they’d had.  The games they’d won. The pranks they’d pulled – well, the pranks Takao had instigated and Midorima had gotten roped into.  Their first kiss.  Sloppy and salty after their loss to Seirin.

The first time they’d made love.

Midorima’s long, slender fingers trailing down Takao’s body, every touch electrified and ingrained into his memory.  The feel of the taller man against him.  Inside him.

That was only a few weeks ago.

Now they’d never get a chance to do it again.

“There are so many things we won’t get to do.” Takao’s voice wavered.  “We were supposed to go to college together. Play on the same team again.” He choked on a sob.  “Now we’ll-”

“Now we’ll never get the chance.”

Takao snapped his head up, his eyes widening.

Midorima was standing before him, eyes wet and nose running.  His black suit was wrinkled and his hair was mussed.  It looked like he’d been curled into a ball for too long.

“I’m sorry.” The taller man wept, dropping to his knees.

“Shin-chan…”

But Midorima didn’t look up at him.

“It should have been me.”

Takao walked around and hugged him from behind, feeling his body shake as his words dissolved into unintelligible sobs.  He looked over Midorima’s shoulder at the headstone.

_Takao Kazunari_

_Beloved Son and Friend_

_"People who enjoy life are winners."_

**Author's Note:**

> I did warn you.  
> Did you see that twist coming? I hope it was surprising!  
> Ah, I finally wrote something sad.  
> Now I feel like I need to write some fluff or something... Cleanse myself.


End file.
